Phobias

[Matthias720]

BECAUSE OF THE PERSONAL NATURE OF THESE DISCUSSIONS, PLEASE BE VERY RESPECTFUL TO EVERYONE IN THIS TOPIC. THANKS.

Everyone has a fear of something in their life. There is something that people just can't stand, or something that really bothers them. Studies have shown that talking about your fears can sometimes be a help in alleviating that fear. This topic is for just that.

For me, I am creeped out by bugs. There are only a small number that I'm cool with, the rest give me the jibblies. I think it's the multiple refracting eyes; they're just freaky. *shudders*

[Redwall Musician]

Ah, fears. When I was little I thought that I lived on an alien planet and they were able to copy my friends and family so I would never know I was on the alien planet (that was the weirdest fear I ever had). I also had this thing with vampires. But I've grown out of those. Today my worst fears are snakes, spiders, and depression medication.

[Firehawke]

Lets see...spiders, snakes, sewer drains, enclosed spaces, drowning.  I'm sure that there are others, I just can't think of them right now. 

[Plugg Firetail]

I have a fear of swimming. I almost drowned when I was a little kid and have not stepped in a pool since then.

[Skalrag of Marshank]

I'm afraid of...cows. Just kidding.

I'm kinda paranoid around fire, 'cause when I was in the first grade, a fireman came to our school and showed us a news video about a family whose house started on fire. I'm just a naturally paranoid person, though.

[Lutra]

Heights....though I think my fear of actually falling from somewhere high because you know of the inevitable splat at the end....and it isn't like no cartoon. 

[rakkety tam]

ok i have 3 heights drowning and um this is embarressing ....................babys

[Nightfire]

Anything with 6 legs or over. Even butterflies. Especially spiders and centipedes.

*shudder*

[DanielofRedwall]

I am a bit claustrophobic. I get anxious when I'm in tight spaces, my breathe quickens and so does my heartbeat. The thought of being buried alive just kills me.
Also, I don't really like heights. I'm like Lutra, though, it isn't the actual height that scares me, it is the thought of someone jumping off the edge or whatever that scares me. I don't mind being up high, but I never creep too far to the edge...
Also, snails, cockroaches and the like. They're probably some of the only animals I really can't stand. My house is infested with them.

[Tiria Wildlough]

I am petrified of creepy crawlies. Spiders in particular. If I see one spider, I will start to think that they're all over the place.
Also, I have this weird thing. If I'm standing on the edge of something, and I'm holding something precious to me, I have this strange urge to throw it down. It's not a good feeling.

[Skalrag of Marshank]

Oh, I HATE that feeling! I almost did that with my Meowth Pokemon stuffed animal when I was 9. (I took that thing with me everywhere when I was younger; he was kinda my imaginary friend ) I had to walk away because it '[the feeling] was scaring me.

[James Gryphon]

I've had a lot of fears over the years, some better hidden than others.

First off, I'll start with the basics -- I dislike most bugs in general, but I especially despise cockroaches. I've detested them for as long as I can remember, and I imagine I always will hate them. Our old house harbored them and they annually posed a nuisance to my life. When I looked in the cupboard, I was sometimes a bit antsy, in case there might have been a cockroach lurking there. Even now I suppose I still worry about that sometimes, although I haven't seen any vermin in our new house.

This is a little more complicated, but it was my prevailing fear for much of my childhood, actually up until fairly recently, so I suppose I ought to mention it: when I was younger, I saw the space slug in "Star Wars" (actually, the space slug in the Star Wars "Podracer" game), and I became deathly afraid of it. That extended into other things, too, to the point where I grew afraid of looking into our (open) air vents, for the fear of seeing something leering out at me. I played that game really well, but for years, I couldn't fly through the course the worm appeared in without someone helping me, either by flying through the level for me or by hiding the worm so that when I raced, I couldn't see it when it was about to come up.

Also, that same game had a monstrous kind of fish in its underwater course, so I became afraid of that too -- to the point where I wouldn't race the race without the textures being off so I couldn't see it (which is a shame, because it's a gorgeous game, especially considering it was made in 1999).

I've been obsessive-compulsive about germs and handwashing for probably over a decade now. If my hands feel at all dirty, I'll almost invariably end up washing them -- add that in with some other psychological issues, and I can end up cleaning them dozens of times in a day -- and most of the time they're not even actually dirty.

I'll probably end up applying lotion to help with that, but the problem with that is I don't like the feel of anything greasy on my hands, or the idea of touching other things and making them greasy too, which means that I'll have to wear gloves on top of my hands if I apply lotion. I think that particular habit is mostly because I've used the computer for so long that it's a natural part of my routine to make sure I don't get the mouse or keyboard dirty.

Likewise, as a part of my obsessiveness about germs, if I think something is contaminated, I almost always have to get a paper towel, wet it down, and wash that thing off... it's a real nuisance to my life, but what can you do, eh.

Finally, I have to say that I'm relatively paranoid when it comes to real-life social relationships, and harbor an ongoing fear that people dislike me -- which seems somewhat supported by the fact that they rarely seem to want to talk to me, which causes me to withdraw even more, thus maintaining a self-sustaining cycle of seclusion.

There are some other assorted fears, obsessions, and phobias I could probably remember, but I think the above will suffice for this topic.

[Lily]

*shudders* Cockroaches. We never had them at my house in Australia, so seeing them in my kitchen when I first moved to Japan (my first night alone in my new apartment!) was kind of horrible. I'm afraid they'll fly into my face when I spray them because they tend to go kinda crazy, so it always takes me ages to work up the courage to actually do anything about them when I see them. Luckily, I didn't see any this year because I taped up all of the holes underneath my sinks and always closed to door to my balcony at night, which is where I think they came in in the first place.

Also, like a lot of you, I really dislike creepy-crawlies in general. I was kayaking in Cambodia and all these... things... started crawling in to the kayak and onto my legs, and I had a little freak out. I didn't end up in the water, thank goodness!

I also share your social paranoia, James.

[rakkety tam]

ui have social paranoia to and i'm pretty good with bugs just not this wierd bug we have in the house its just wierd i'm not even scared of bees though if u dont mess with bees they dont mess with u

[winifred]

 My mom says that my aunt has a fear of well.......public restrooms.My mom is deathly afraid of hights and just recently we found out that she cant drive over very high bridges she starts freaking out she  tells me to look at the map when we are traveling together and to pick the safest way because she doesnt think its safe for anyone in the car with her if she's going over a bridge kinda creepy.
My phobia is being afraid I'll be kidnapped and never read a book again which is not really a phobia but a fear.Another fear I had was when I was little that if a dinosaur ever came and attacked me my mom and dad would dive under their(my parents) matress or some weird people would drive up in a topless red car right up to my window and take me I live in the country and that most likely wouldnt happen!My family (not counting my dad)hates cockroaches!!!*shudders*